House Rabbit Set-ups
House rabbit set ups vary from home to home. It depends on the needs of the rabbit, the layout of the home, other pets and many more factors. There are 3 main house rabbit set ups:
1. The rabbits are free range around the house. They are free to explore every room and are never restricted. These set ups require the whole house to be bunny proof. All wires should be covered and anything that could harm the bunnies must be out of reach. Bunnies will climb onto chairs, sofas and desks. The rabbits will still need a "main room" where they can find their litter tray, food, water, nest box and toys. Hiding places and toys should be in most rooms that the bunnies explore so they can hide and play if they want to.
2. The rabbits have their own room. The rabbits are kept in their own room (e.g. spare bedroom, dining room, study) and are given access to the rest of the house when the owners are at home. This allows the rabbits to have their own area which is fully dedicated to them. This will include their litter tray, food, water, nest box, toys etc. Then when the owners are home, the bunnies can explore other rooms. Any wires will still need to be covered as they can chew through them in a few seconds!
3. The rabbits have a fenced off area of a room. The rabbits are kept in secure, bunny proof section of a room (e.g. living room) and are given access to the rest of the room/house when the owners are at home. The secure area will include their litter tray, food, water, nest box and toys. In this set up their area will also need a lot of hiding places. This set up isn't suitable for all bunnies. Some bunnies will love to be with their owners all the time but others can find it too daunting. If the "bunny area" is in a main room the bunnies may feel insecure due to the amount of noise and traffic in the room. Its best to have them in a quiet area where they can feel relaxed and comfortable.
We require all house rabbit set ups to include a wooden nest box filled with hay. The rabbits can burrow and hide in here if they want to and its a great place to put their main hay supply. Its best to put a plastic litter tray in the bottom of the nest box as rabbits tend to poo while they eat. Nest boxes can be found in pet shops or online, for example:
Indoor plastic cages are not needed for house rabbit set ups. The gaps between the wire on these cages can be dangerous to rabbits. Rabbits could get their feet caught between the bars and panic. They will struggle and could break a leg or their back. They are most likely to catch their feet when they jump through the door or jump on top of the cage. We recommend removing the wire part of the cage and using the base as a large litter tray filled with hay. If you really wish to keep the wire part of the cage the door will need to be removed. The whole lid should be covered with wood or cardboard to create a solid surface. This will stop the rabbit's feet being trapped.
All house rabbit set ups will also need lots of hiding places and toys. Cardboard boxes make great hiding places and the rabbits can chew them safely. They can be any size or shape and they can be connected to mimic a warren. Tunnels are also great for house rabbits. Any plastic or nylon tunnel from a pet shop/online retailer is great. We particularly like tunnels that can be connected into a maze. Wooden and willow toys are great for the rabbits to chew and keep their teeth healthy.
House rabbits also need outdoor access for fresh air and sunlight. If you have a secure, bunny proof garden the rabbits can be given supervised access. The rabbits must be supervised to protect them from predators. If the garden is unsecure and supervising isn't possible the rabbits must have a secure, predator proof run. Like our outdoor accommodation the run should be 10ftx6ftx3ft. This allows the rabbits space to run, play and binky. Although outdoor access is essential for house rabbits it should be restricted in the cold months. Constantly moving the rabbits from a warm house to a cold garden will confuse them and they will struggle to maintain their temperature. They can still go outside for a short amount of time each day (e.g 30 minutes) as they shouldn't get too cold. In the warmer months they can go outside for hours (with supervision or a secure run) as the temperature change will only be slight. Whenever house rabbits are outside they will need a shelter and toys.
1. The rabbits are free range around the house. They are free to explore every room and are never restricted. These set ups require the whole house to be bunny proof. All wires should be covered and anything that could harm the bunnies must be out of reach. Bunnies will climb onto chairs, sofas and desks. The rabbits will still need a "main room" where they can find their litter tray, food, water, nest box and toys. Hiding places and toys should be in most rooms that the bunnies explore so they can hide and play if they want to.
2. The rabbits have their own room. The rabbits are kept in their own room (e.g. spare bedroom, dining room, study) and are given access to the rest of the house when the owners are at home. This allows the rabbits to have their own area which is fully dedicated to them. This will include their litter tray, food, water, nest box, toys etc. Then when the owners are home, the bunnies can explore other rooms. Any wires will still need to be covered as they can chew through them in a few seconds!
3. The rabbits have a fenced off area of a room. The rabbits are kept in secure, bunny proof section of a room (e.g. living room) and are given access to the rest of the room/house when the owners are at home. The secure area will include their litter tray, food, water, nest box and toys. In this set up their area will also need a lot of hiding places. This set up isn't suitable for all bunnies. Some bunnies will love to be with their owners all the time but others can find it too daunting. If the "bunny area" is in a main room the bunnies may feel insecure due to the amount of noise and traffic in the room. Its best to have them in a quiet area where they can feel relaxed and comfortable.
We require all house rabbit set ups to include a wooden nest box filled with hay. The rabbits can burrow and hide in here if they want to and its a great place to put their main hay supply. Its best to put a plastic litter tray in the bottom of the nest box as rabbits tend to poo while they eat. Nest boxes can be found in pet shops or online, for example:
Indoor plastic cages are not needed for house rabbit set ups. The gaps between the wire on these cages can be dangerous to rabbits. Rabbits could get their feet caught between the bars and panic. They will struggle and could break a leg or their back. They are most likely to catch their feet when they jump through the door or jump on top of the cage. We recommend removing the wire part of the cage and using the base as a large litter tray filled with hay. If you really wish to keep the wire part of the cage the door will need to be removed. The whole lid should be covered with wood or cardboard to create a solid surface. This will stop the rabbit's feet being trapped.
All house rabbit set ups will also need lots of hiding places and toys. Cardboard boxes make great hiding places and the rabbits can chew them safely. They can be any size or shape and they can be connected to mimic a warren. Tunnels are also great for house rabbits. Any plastic or nylon tunnel from a pet shop/online retailer is great. We particularly like tunnels that can be connected into a maze. Wooden and willow toys are great for the rabbits to chew and keep their teeth healthy.
House rabbits also need outdoor access for fresh air and sunlight. If you have a secure, bunny proof garden the rabbits can be given supervised access. The rabbits must be supervised to protect them from predators. If the garden is unsecure and supervising isn't possible the rabbits must have a secure, predator proof run. Like our outdoor accommodation the run should be 10ftx6ftx3ft. This allows the rabbits space to run, play and binky. Although outdoor access is essential for house rabbits it should be restricted in the cold months. Constantly moving the rabbits from a warm house to a cold garden will confuse them and they will struggle to maintain their temperature. They can still go outside for a short amount of time each day (e.g 30 minutes) as they shouldn't get too cold. In the warmer months they can go outside for hours (with supervision or a secure run) as the temperature change will only be slight. Whenever house rabbits are outside they will need a shelter and toys.